FVS to bring fairness to Tanzania league – Karia

TANZANIA Football Federation (TFF) president Wallace Karia has officially opened a two-day training programme on the Football Video Support (FVS) system at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, marking another major step towards the introduction of the technology in Tanzanian football.

The training is being conducted under FIFA referee instructor Ali Al-Traifi and brings together match officials as they prepare for the official implementation of FVS in the Mainland Premier League.

Speaking during the opening on Monday, Karia thanked God for enabling the federation to reach the stage of introducing the new technology, describing the development as an important moment for Tanzanian football.

“First, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Almighty God for enabling us this morning to come and officially open this new course for our league,” Karia said.

Karia highlighted the significance of Tanzania becoming the first league in the world to use the Football Video Support system, describing the development as a major achievement for the country.

“If, as you have mentioned, this is the first league in the world to use this technology, I think it is a very good thing for our country,” he said.

The TFF president confirmed that following the completion of the training, FVS will officially come into use in the league.

“When we finish here, we will officially start using it. However, we will not hesitate to conduct training regularly,” Karia added.

He stressed that continued education will be important as match officials gain practical experience with the technology and become more familiar with its procedures.

Karia also used the occasion to remind officials that the effectiveness of FVS will depend on strict adherence to its regulations.

He urged referees not to deny a team or player the opportunity to request a review when the circumstances meet the requirements of the system.

“When they make a request, you have to look at it. Don’t deny them. Go and check, then you can make your decision after seeing it,” he emphasized.

According to Karia, the objective is not only to correct decisions but also to promote fairness and reduce unnecessary complaints surrounding refereeing decisions.

“We need fairness. But we also want to reduce the complaints that arise and bring harmony. When people leave the stadium, they should be able to shake hands,” he said.

Karia further explained that he views FVS as having an important advantage over the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system because it gives teams the opportunity to request a review.

“For me, I see this as even better than VAR because it gives the opponent an option to request a review. VAR does not give you that option,” he said.

The TFF president encouraged match officials to take the training seriously and ensure they understand the process from beginning to end.

He also indicated that Tanzania would continue learning and developing its use of video technology, with the possibility of progressing towards the VAR system in the future.

Karia concluded by saying the introduction of FVS places Tanzanian football in a historic position and expressed confidence that the technology would contribute to improving the quality and credibility of the domestic league.